Seoul to enforce fingerprinting policy for foreign visitors

SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government will fingerprint and
photograph all foreigners visiting South Korea starting next year, as part of
efforts to strengthen its immigration control, officials said Friday.
According to the officials at the Ministry of Justice, all foreign visitors,
including tourists, will be obliged to undergo fingerprinting and have their
photo taken before entering South Korea from the second half of 2010.
"The new fingerprinting policy for foreigners is expected to take effect in July
next year," an official from the ministry said. "A relevant revision of the
immigration law will be presented to parliament in the first half of this year."
He said the planned fingerprinting policy is primarily intended to regulate
illegal entries by foreigners. The United States and Japan have already adopted
the fingerprinting policy.
At present, some 200,000 foreigners are believed to be illegally staying in South
Korea, accounting for 17.3 percent of an estimated 1.15 million foreigners here,
according to ministry data.
The government last week announced a plan to offer dual citizenship to gifted
foreigners to attract outstanding talents from abroad. Under the current law,
foreigners seeking Korean citizenship must first give up their original
nationality.
brk@yna.co.kr
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